Conventionally, there have been game systems in which a game is performed via communication between a TV game apparatus and a plurality of hand-held game apparatuses. For example, in a game system described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-294260, an information processing apparatus 1 and terminal apparatuses 20-1 to 20-N are provided, the information processing apparatus 1 transmits the whole or a part of image data or a program to the terminal apparatuses 20-1 to 20-N, and a plurality of participants who operate the terminal apparatuses each cause the program to proceed based on a display screen of the respective terminal apparatus.
However, in the game system of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-294260, although the TV game apparatus and the hand-held game apparatuses are operated in association with each other, operations are controlled only using buttons. Therefore, the variety of the operation system is poor.
Therefore, in certain example embodiments a game system in which a feature of a hand-held game apparatus can be more effectively utilized is provided.
Certain example embodiments have the following features to attain the object mentioned above. Note that reference numerals, additional descriptions and the like inside parentheses in this section indicate correspondence to embodiments described below for the sake of easy understanding, and are not limiting.
A first aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to a game system for performing a game via communication between a stationary game apparatus (3) and a plurality of hand-held game apparatuses (40). The plurality of hand-held game apparatuses each comprise a hand-held-side display device (41, 42), a hand-held-side display control means (51, 56, 57), a pointing device (45), a hand-held-side communications means (63), a storage means (54), a recognition process means (51), and a recognition data transmitting means (51). The hand-held-side display control means causes the hand-held-side display device to display an image. The pointing device is a device for designating a position on a screen of the hand-held-side display device. The hand-held-side communications means transmits and receives data to and from the stationary game apparatus. The storage means stores a hand-held device program including at least a recognition program for recognizing a letter or graphic input by writing by hand. The recognition process means executes the recognition program to perform a process of recognizing the letter or graphic input by writing by hand using the pointing device. The recognition data transmitting means causes the hand-held-side communications means to transmit recognition result data which is data of the recognized letter or graphic to the stationary game apparatus. The stationary game apparatus comprises a stationary-side communications means (18), a reception means (18), a game executing means (10), and a stationary-side display control means (10, 15). The stationary-side communications means transmits and receives data to and from each hand-held game apparatus. The reception means receives the recognition result data transmitted from the recognition data transmitting means. The game executing means executes a game process based on the recognition result data received by the reception means. The stationary-side display control means causes a predetermined display device to display a result of the game executed by the game executing means. The game executing means executes the game process based on the recognition result data transmitted from each of the plurality of hand-held game apparatuses.
According to the first aspect, the letter recognition process is executed in the hand-held game apparatus, and only the recognition result is transmitted to the stationary game apparatus, thereby making it possible to reduce the processing load of the stationary game apparatus. Also, the amount of communication between the hand-held game apparatus and the stationary game apparatus can be reduced, thereby making it possible to increase the speed of the whole process. Also, it is possible to provide a game in which a feature of the hand-held game apparatus is utilized.
In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the stationary game apparatus further comprises a hand-held device program transmitting means for causing the stationary-side communications means to transmit the hand-held device program to each of the plurality of hand-held game apparatuses. The plurality of hand-held game apparatuses each further comprise a hand-held device program receiving means for causing the hand-held-side communications means to receive the hand-held device program transmitted from the stationary game apparatus, and the storage means to store the hand-held device program. The recognition process means performs the recognition process by reading out and executing a letter recognition program included in the hand-held device program stored in the storage means.
According to the second aspect, the hand-held game apparatus can download a program including a letter recognition program from the stationary game apparatus. Thereby, a letter recognition program can be prepared and downloaded as required, depending on the game, thereby making it possible to provide a variety of games.
In the third aspect based on the first aspect, the hand-held device program includes a handwriting data transmitting program for causing the hand-held-side communications means to transmit, to the stationary game apparatus, handwriting data indicating a series of designated coordinate points input by writing by hand using the pointing device. The game executing means generates a handwriting image indicating a handwriting input by writing by hand, based on the transmitted handwriting data. The stationary-side display control means causes the predetermined display device to display the handwriting image.
In the fourth aspect based on the second aspect, the hand-held device program includes a handwriting data transmitting program for causing the hand-held-side communications means to transmit, to the stationary game apparatus, handwriting data indicating a series of designated coordinate points input by writing by hand using the pointing device. The game executing means generates a handwriting image indicating a handwriting input by writing by hand, based on the transmitted handwriting data. The stationary-side display control means causes the predetermined display device to display the handwriting image.
According to the third-fourth aspect, an image of a handwriting actually input by a player can be displayed. Thereby, a letter input by each player writing by hand is displayed as it is, thereby making it possible to improve the sense of realism of the game.
In a fifth aspect based on the first aspect, the hand-held device program includes a recognized letter displaying program for causing the hand-held-side display device to display a letter or graphic recognized by the letter recognition process program as a recognition result letter, and a transmission determining program for causing the recognition data transmitting means to transmit data indicating the recognition result letter as the recognition result data in accordance with a predetermined input operation.
In a sixth aspect based on the second aspect, the hand-held device program includes a recognized letter displaying program for causing the hand-held-side display device to display a letter or graphic recognized by the letter recognition process program as a recognition result letter, and a transmission determining program for causing the recognition data transmitting means to transmit data indicating the recognition result letter as the recognition result data in accordance with a predetermined input operation.
According to the fifth-sixth aspect, the recognition result data can be transmitted from the hand-held game apparatus to the stationary game apparatus in accordance with a player's own intention. Therefore, the recognition result letter input by the player can be modified, deleted or the like, thereby making it possible to prevent a recognition result which is not intended by the player from being transmitted to the stationary game apparatus.
In the seventh aspect based on the first aspect, the stationary game apparatus further comprises an analysis means for analyzing a result of a game based on the received recognition result data for each hand-held game apparatus which is a transmission source of the recognition result data, and a history storing means for storing the analyzed result in association with predetermined setting data of the transmission-source hand-held game apparatus.
According to the seventh aspect, the result of the game process can be stored in the stationary game apparatus for each player. Thereby, the game process depending on a characteristic of each player can be executed based on the stored game process result.
In a eighth aspect based on the first aspect, the stationary game apparatus further comprises a priority result transmitting means for transmitting priority result data indicating predetermined recognition result data to the hand-held game apparatus. The recognition process means outputs recognition process result data indicated by the priority result data with priority in the recognition process.
In a ninth aspect based on the second aspect, the stationary game apparatus further comprises a priority result transmitting means for transmitting priority result data indicating predetermined recognition result data to the hand-held game apparatus. The recognition process means outputs recognition process result data indicated by the priority result data with priority in the recognition process.
According to the eighth-ninth aspect, it is possible to prevent a letter written by the player from failing to be recognized as a letter which is intended by the player when the handwritten letter of the player has a peculiar feature, there are many letters similar to a letter which is intended by the player, or the like, thereby making it possible to provide a letter or the like intended by the player in the game process.
In the tenth aspect based on the first aspect, the stationary-side game apparatus further comprises a recognition range transmitting means for transmitting, to the hand-held game apparatus, recognition range data for limiting letters or graphics to be recognized in the recognition process. The recognition process means selects recognition result data from the letters or graphics set based on the recognition range data.
In the eleventh aspect based on the second aspect, the stationary-side game apparatus further comprises a recognition range transmitting means for transmitting, to the hand-held game apparatus, recognition range data for limiting letters or graphics to be recognized in the recognition process. The recognition process means selects recognition result data from the letters or graphics set based on the recognition range data.
According to the tenth-eleventh aspect, the accuracy of recognition can be improved by limiting the recognition range as required.
An twelfth aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to a game system for performing a game via communication between a stationary game apparatus (3) and a plurality of hand-held game apparatuses (40). The plurality of hand-held game apparatuses each comprise a hand-held-side display device (41, 42), a hand-held-side display control means (51, 56, 57), a microphone (56), a hand-held-side communications means (63), a storage means (54), a recognition process means (51), and a recognition data transmitting means (51). The hand-held-side display control means causes the hand-held-side display device to display an image. The hand-held-side communications means transmits and receives data to and from the stationary game apparatus. The storage means stores a hand-held device program including at least a speech recognition program for recognizing speech input using the microphone. The recognition process means executes the speech recognition program to perform a process of recognizing the speech input using the microphone. The recognition data transmitting means causes the hand-held-side communications means to transmit recognition result data which is data of the recognized speech to the stationary game apparatus. The stationary game apparatus comprises a stationary-side communications means (18), a reception means (18), a game executing means (10), and a stationary-side display control means (10, 15). The stationary-side communications means transmits and receives data to and from each hand-held game apparatus. The reception means receives the recognition result data transmitted from the recognition data transmitting means. The game executing means executes a game process based on the recognition result data received by the reception means. The stationary-side display control means causes a predetermined display device to display a result of the game executed by the game executing means. The game executing means executes the game process based on the recognition result data transmitted from each of the plurality of hand-held game apparatuses.
According to the twelfth aspect, an effect similar to that of the first aspect is obtained.
A thirteenth aspect of non-limiting illustrative embodiments is directed to an information processing system for performing an information process via communication between a stationary information processing apparatus (3) and a plurality of hand-held information processing apparatuses (40). The plurality of hand-held information processing apparatuses each comprise a hand-held-side display device (41, 42), a hand-held-side display control means (51, 56, 57), a pointing device (45), a hand-held-side communications means (63), a storage means (54), a recognition process means (51), and a recognition data transmitting means (51). The hand-held-side display control means causes the hand-held-side display device to display an image. The pointing device designates a position on a screen of the hand-held-side display device. The hand-held-side communications means transmits and receives data to and from the stationary information processing apparatus. The storage means stores a hand-held device program including at least a recognition program for recognizing a letter or graphic input by writing by hand. The recognition process means executes the recognition program to perform a process of recognizing the letter or graphic input by writing by hand using the pointing device. The recognition data transmitting means causes the hand-held-side communications means to transmit recognition result data which is data of the recognized letter or graphic to the stationary information processing apparatus. The stationary information processing apparatus comprises a stationary-side communications means (18), a reception means (18), an information process executing means (10), and a stationary-side display control means (10, 15). The stationary-side communications means transmits and receives data to and from each hand-held information processing apparatus. The reception means receives the recognition result data transmitted from the recognition data transmitting means. The information process executing means executes a predetermined information process based on the recognition result data received by the reception means. The stationary-side display control means causes a predetermined display device to display a result of the information process executed by the information process executing means. The information process executing means executes the predetermined information process based on the recognition result data transmitted from each of the plurality of hand-held information processing apparatuses.
According to the thirteenth aspect, an effect similar to the first aspect is obtained.
A fourteenth aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to a recording medium storing a program which is executed by a computer in a stationary game apparatus of a game system in which a game is performed via communication between a stationary game apparatus and a plurality of hand-held game apparatuses. The program causes the computer to execute a data transmitting step (S13), a letter data receiving step (S21), a game processing step (S24, S26), and a display control step (S26). The data transmitting step transmits, to each of the plurality of hand-held game apparatuses, data including at least a letter recognition program for performing a handwritten letter recognition based on coordinates input by the hand-held game apparatus, and transmitting letter data indicating a letter specified by the recognition to the stationary game apparatus. The letter data receiving step receives the letter data from the hand-held game apparatus. The game processing step performs a game process based on the letter data. The display control step displays a game image based on the game process on a predetermined display device.
According to the fourteenth aspect, an effect similar to that of the first aspect is obtained.
According to certain example embodiments, the processing load of the stationary game apparatus can be reduced. Also, the amount of communication between the hand-held game apparatus and the stationary game apparatus can be reduced. As a result, the processing speed of the whole system can be increased. Also, it is possible to provide a game in which a feature of the hand-held game apparatus can be utilized.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages in certain example embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the example embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.